Burned
by InsomniaticDreamer
Summary: Sequel to Scars. If you play with fire, you may get burned. Cece and Flynn have come in terms with their past, and are ready to put it behind them. But what happens when their past comes back to haunt them? UPDATED!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake it Up! **

**A/N; I am SOOOOOOO SOORRRYYYY I didn't post this when I said I would! However, I have an excuse, so please don't kill me!**

**Friday: I meant to publish that night after school, but then… I spent all night at tryouts for the school musical….**

**Saturday: Spent all day at musical tryouts, it's a LOOOONNNNNGGGGG process…..**

**Sunday: Church-stuff, then I checked the musical cast-list, and discovered that, after 2 days of trying out for said musical, I didn't make it in, and spent my evening in depression.**

**Monday: I was feeling better, and ready to publish when, lo-and-behold, I discovered that my computer crashed, AGAIN! Seriously, my computer, it would seem, is a piece of shit. **

**Now, a week after deadline I set myself…. My compter is fixed, for now….**

**I'm still trying to get over the shock of all the positive feedback I got on my story **_**Scars**_**. 182 reviews, and counting! And almost all of them were positive, so, I am quite proud to present the sequel, **_**Burned**_**.**

**Enjoy the Prologue:**

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><p><em>Flynn walked down the streets, following closely behind his sister, Cece, and her boyfriend, Ty. The two of them were supposed to be babysitting him, but instead…<em>

"_Come on!" Cece giggled, running towards the park, pulling Ty along with her. He stopped suddenly, and tugged on her arm, spinning her to face him, the momentum stopping her inches from him. She looked up at him, and he leaned down to kiss her._

_"Ewwwww!" Flynn screamed, covering his eyes._

_Ty and Cece laughed, holding hands._

_"Seriously, though! You two are supposed to be supervising me, not making out with each other!"_

_Ty shrugged, and Flynn looked disgusted._

_However, Flynn was secretly very happy about the whole Cece/Ty relationship. After seeing his sister go through so much with their father, it was nice to see her so carefree and happy._

_Sure, she always_ seems _that way. But when it's just her, trying to read her textbook, as her dyslexia acts up, her façade begins to crumble. Gone is the confident, lighthearted girl everyone thinks she is, replaced by a girl sinking deep into depression and insecurities. _

_But since Ty, she hasn't. He makes her feel deserving and beautiful, which she cherished, after living with her father constantly talking about how ugly, worthless, and unwanted he thought she was. He had helped her put the abuse behind her, helped her, and Flynn himself, move on, and put it behind them._

_Flynn was, perhaps, the only person who knew how much their father's abuse had affected Cece. Her self-reliance had helped her to survive through those two years of abuse, and she was selfish, because her dad had showed her that helping people led to pain, when he stabbed her for protecting her brother._

_He stopped in his tracks, looking at Cece sitting on a swing, demanding playfully that Ty give her a push. Flynn smiled to himself. Cece was happy, and so was Flynn. He hoped that this happiness for the two of them would never leave._

_But soon, it would._

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><p><em>Rocky sat in her apartment, smiling for the first time in days. Why? Because she was thinking of Deuce. Whenever she was with him, she felt lighter than air, like she was flying. <em>

_Was she falling for Deuce? No, she couldn't be, could she_? _However, he still didn't know about Danny. She had told him that they had broken up after he had gotten arrested, because of his arrest. She said nothing about what he had been arrested for, nor how it had affected her._

_A knock on the door snapped her out of her reverie, "Come in!" she yelled._

_The door opened to reveal a tall, thin, beautiful woman. She had the look of someone who had spent the day at the beach, with her evenly tanned skin and sun-bleached blond hair. She looked to be about 40, with wrinkles around her eyes and lips, the kind of wrinkles that form through smiling._

"_Hello," the woman said, "I'm Anna-Maria Gardella. Danny's mother." Rocky stiffened, eyes wide._

"_Oh. Hi, Mrs. Gardella. Nice to meet you." Rocky managed politely._

"_Call me Anna, Mrs. Gardella makes me feel old, and I haven't gone by 'Mrs.' since my husband and I got divorced."_

_Rocky nodded stiffly._

"_I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am," she apologized hysterically, "I had no idea he was like that, and I wish I'd been able to stop him, and then three of his ex-girlfriends showed up to testify for the trial, and he abused them, too. And you're such a strong girl, none of the other three were brave enough to tell anyone. And-" She ended her distraught ramblings as she burst into violent sobs, and before Rocky realized what was going on, they were hugging and crying on each other's shoulders._

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><p><strong>So, there's the prologue… What do you think? Review? Thanks for all the support with <strong>_**Scars**_**, let's hope **_**Burned**_** lives up to your expectations… **

**I'll try to put more Rocky/Deuce in this story, because there was a distinct lack of it in **_**Scars**_**.**

**Gary/Georgia or not? YOU decide!**

**Updates will be sporadic, I have school/homework/dance/piano pretty much daily.**


	2. AuthorNote

**My dear lovely readers,**

** I'm so sorry if I got your hopes up, thinking this was the next chapter, but….**

** You remember how I said updates will be sporadic? Well, now, you may consider this story to be 'on hiatus'. I have so much going on in my life, I really can't handle another project. I have two challenges I'm writing for (on for CRocs and one over on the Harry Potter archive) and these have preference over this.**

** I also am having some writer's block with this. I've momentarily lost interest in this piece, and will probably spend more time writing where inspiration is calling me – the Harry Potter archive. But don't worry, soon enough, this story will draw me back in, and updates will come.**

** My challenge here on the Shake It Up! archive is called 'Downward Spiral,' and, you should really check it out, it will be updated weekly, hopefully. It's a Dina-centric piece, but its pretty mature, even more so than Scars/Burned. **

**I'm so sorry! Really I am! First I publish this a week after I promised, then when I finally update, it's an A/N, and on top of all this, it's an A/N saying I'm taking a break on this fic!**

** (I feel like I'm a bad girlfriend in a relationship right now. I show up late to our date, to tell you I have higher priorities than you, and that we need to take a break, haha!)**

** But seriously, I feel terrible. But either way I'm not being fair to you. I'm either not updating when you want to read my story, or I'm updating for you, with shitty chapters because I have no muse.**

**-InsomniaticDreamer**


	3. Chapter 1, Cece

**So, I'm a liar, I'm updating. Hiatus is over, though updates will still be unpredictable.**

**Shout-outs! **_**Not a single one of you got all three quotes!**_** I'm disappointed in you, my lovelies. Just kidding, I will love you forever and always!**

**So, ****Qwerty Poiuy**** and ****Mikey337****: You got two of the three, so, kudos to you! **

**And ****Shiskatchegg****: Would you believe you were the only reviewer who got the Victorious quote? Well, you were!**

**Answers: **

**Harry Potter: "What would come, would come, and he would meet it when it did." It's the very last line of Goblet of Fire. It is found in Scars in Flynn's POV. **

**Hunger Games: "But there are much worse games to play" Very last line of Mockingjay, in my story, it is the last thing in Rocky's POV.**

**Victorious Song: 'Pick up the pieces when the damage is done", from the song 'You're the Reason' in the episode, 'The Birthweek Song', in my story, it is also found in Flynn's POV.**

**More Shout-outs: **

**ihrtme, Digiboy1, and Bunnyvixon4u for their pm conversations.**

**TrinitylovesRoshonfreak CRocs, and R O S E M A R I E 7 5 3 for being the only ones to review 'Downward Spiral.'**

**Really, I'm ashamed of you all if you didn't read/review. I was really proud of Downward Spiral, and now I feel sad, because no one else appreciates it. **

**Totally kidding! While I do wish more of you had reviewed it, I will always love you, my lovelies. **

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><p>Things had slowly returned to normal in the Jones household. Flynn still yelled, "GOT IT, MOM!" whenever someone was at the door. Their mother had gone back to work, and Cece and Rocky got back to their shenanigans.<p>

But things would never really be the same. Cece still couldn't look at her mother without remembering that day in the kitchen, when her father had first hit her, she couldn't look at Flynn without remembering taking the knife for him. She couldn't look at Ty or Rocky without remembering confessing to both of them, on the night Rocky was raped. Walking down the street reminded her of when Danny had tried to rape _her._

But she had good memories, too. She remembered her and Rocky's friendship, which her relationship with Danny had endangered, righted. They were closer than ever, and though everything was a lie, it was beautiful, bittersweet lie.

She remembered Ty, when he took her to the subway station. Dancing to the sound of the saxophone player's tune. She remembered her and Ty's first kiss, their first date, her first love (_yes, she was pretty sure she was in love_).

She remembered her and her family becoming closer, watching cute animated kid's movies together, with the occasional Harry Potter thrown in. She remembered laughing as they tried their hands at all sorts of different games – trivia, Monopoly, Scene-it, and Clue, to name a few.

The sound of knocking on the door shook her from her reverie, and Flynn, predictably, hollered, "GOT IT, MOM!" and answered the door.

"Gary Wilde? What are you doing here?" Flynn asked, seeing Gary at the door.

"I came to see Cece, is she here?" he asked. Cece, from her perch on the couch, walked to the door.

"What did you want?" She asked suspiciously.

"I just wanted to know why my two best dancers suddenly quit. Because, yes, you two were my best dancers. Or, if not the best, then certainly my favorites."

"Awww, thanks, Gary." Ceec says, ignoring the question.

"Well?"

"Well, _what?"_

"_Well,_ why did you quit?"

"I'm just going through a hard time right now, Rocky too. We needed a break."

"… Oh. Well, ummm… I hope things work out for the best?" He replies, unsure of what to say.

"Thanks, Gary."

"What's Gary doing here?" Cece's mom cuts in, walking into the living room in full police garb.

"He came to ask why Cece quit." Flynn answers.

"Oh, well, it was... Nice of you to be concerned."

"Yeah…" Gary seemed at loss for words. Was there something between them? Cece never found out, for, at that moment, he left, the door closing behind him with a resounding _click_.

"Well, I have to go to work. You two be good, kay?"

They nodded, as she, too, left.

"Flynn, Rocky might stop by soon."

"Whatever. I'm going over to Henry's."

"Have fun."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Twenty minutes later, which Cece spent in the shower, a knock on the door signaled Rocky's arrival.

"Hey!" Cece said, opening the door.

"Hey, Cece!" Rocky said, smiling.

After an hour of nail-painting, hair-doing, and _lots_ of gossiping, comes a question that makes Cece uncomfortable.

"Do you like anybody? Like, as in a guy?"

"Well, um…"

Rocky laughed, and Cece looked at her, confused.

"I know about you and Ty, you know."

Shock courses through her, followed by relief. She _hated _keeping it a secret from Rocky.

"Good. I hated keeping it from you."

"Then why did you?" Rocky replied, somewhat coldly.

"I just thought you had enough going on without your best friend dating your brother."

"Your best friend's brother? Isn't that a song?"

Cece nodded, "Victoria Justice. And we both agreed not to bring it up, but if you did, we weren't going to lie."

"Yeah, I asked him why you two were acting kind of weird, and…"  
>She laughs, and if feels good, "What about you and Deuce? There <em>must <em>be something going on between you two."

"Well, I want there to be something, but… I'm afraid," she admits, "I'm afraid of him. I'm afraid he'll be like Danny. That I'll trust him, fall in love with him, and then have him betray me."

"He won't. I can tell. I don't think I ever told you this, but I could tell from the very beginning that there was something off about Danny. I knew he wasn't as flawless as he seemed. Deuce is a good guy. I don't think you'll have any issues with him."

Rocky beams at her, "Maybe your right…"

The conversation turned back to playful gossip, but something in their relationship had shifted. It was the first either of them had brought up Danny, and the first time Rocky admitted to how it had affected her.

_The first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is one._

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><p><strong>What would you think if I told you I was planning on having every chapter being a different POV? Like, using POVs from Cece, Rocky, TY, Deuce, Flynn, Gary, Georgia, etc.? <strong>

**I guess POV is misleading. I write third person, but 3****rd**** person limited, which means I focus on one character more than others…**

**Sorry this chapter wasn't very good, it's just… setting the stage for the rest of the story.**

**Read and Review this, and PLEASE read and review Downward Spiral!**

**That song, 'Best friend's brother' is going to be a running gag in the story. Whenever someone finds out about the Cece/Ty relationship, expect it to be brought up.**

**Goodbye, my lovelies (I'm going to call you guys that forever, you know that, right? Hope you don't mind.)**


	4. Chapter 2, Rocky

**So, well. Here's the next chapter. GOOD reviews = faster updates. The lack of reviews on Downward Spiral are dragging me down…**

**But anyway, here's the next chapter!**

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><p>Rocky looked out her window, unto the bustling city below her. Sighing, she directed her attention to her mother, standing in front of her, dark hands offering a steaming cup of hot chocolate. She almost says no, but then the sweet aroma of it hits her, and she greedily takes the cup, eager lips sip thirstily.<p>

_She looks up into her mother's eyes._

_Eyes as dark as the chocolate she's drinking._

_Concern, sadness, regret. Her mother's eyes_

_express so many emotions._

"Baby. Are you all right?"

_She flinches at_

_the word _baby_. Danny_

_always called her baby._

Her mother keeps talking, "Of course you're not. But you will be."

"How can you know for sure?" She chokes out, holding back the tears threatening to spill.

"Babygirl, I know you. You're such a strong girl. And you have so many people who care about you. They're going to help you, Rocky."

_She smiles, but_

_it falters. How can_

_she be so sure that_

_it will get better? _

_Her whole world was_

_crumbling_

_broken_

_unpredictable_

_uncertain._

She fakes another smile, then excuses herself to go see Cece, their conversation yesterday still ringing in her ears.

_You can trust Deuce._

_He's a good guy. He's not going _

_to hurt you._

Well, those weren't the exact words, but that was the main idea. She approaches the door of Cece's apartment, about to knock. The sound of Cece's giggle, combined with Ty's smooth, easy laugh makes her stop. She turns on her heels, only slightly annoyed, and walks outside, the cool September wind biting at her exposed arms.

Wishing she had a jacket, she rubs her arms for warmth. Turning on her heels, she walks back in the direction of the apartment. A hand grabs her shoulder, stopping her.

_Panic rises. It's_

_Danny! He's come to_

_hurt her again! Revenge for_

_landing him in jail._

_Her vision_

_grows_

_fuzzy, and _

_her knees grow _

_weak. what should she_

_do? She turns to _

_face him._

She sighs in relief as her panic melts. Its Deuce, a newspaper crumpled in his hand, his dark eyes filled with unidentified emotion. She tilts her head to the side in curiosity.

"What's wrong, Deuce?"

He struggles for a moment, before bursting out, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

_Panic strikes,_

_like a snake, its _

_venom spreading_

_through her in_

_apprehension._

He shoves the newspaper he had been holding into her face, and she makes out the words:

Danny Gardella, aged 16,

arrested for the rape of Raquel Blue.

The article went on, giving background information about Danny, mentioning what he did to Cece. But those eleven words are the only ones that matter to her. Mostly the last 4, rape of Raquel Blue.

_Does everyone know?_

_How many people_

_actually read the _

_newspaper? Tears_

_prickle in her eyes._

"Whoa, Rocky, you okay, chica?"

"No! I'm not fine. Why would I be! Its not like I was raped by someone I thought loved me. Even worse, someone I thought I loved."

"Rocky-"

"No. Just. Stop, please. How did you find that article? It has to be the smallest article in the entire paper."

"Tinka showed it to me. She thought I might want to know."

_Her knees give out._

_Tinka knows? If _

_Tinka knows, the_

_whole school _

_probably_

_knows, too._

Deuce catches her before she hits the ground. Her vision blurring, she hears him whisper, "You're going to be okay, chica."

_She likes the way_

_it sounds. Likes_

_being his _

'_chica.'_

She smiles, breathing in his scent. Ivory soap and cheap cologne. She doesn't mind, it smells delicious to her. She submits to the blackness, and lies in his arms, unconscious.

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><p><strong>Like? Don't like? Tell me what you think! Tell me how this made you FEEL! <strong>

**DO IT!**


	5. Chapter 3, Part 1 Flynn, Part 2 Deuce

**I don't own Shake It Up, I mean, how weird would that be? **

**Note: the 'cold, February evening,' mentioned is a reference to the conversation between Flynn and his mother in Heat It Up, about his father. It never directly mentions the month, but it was shown to be cold outside, and was released in February, so… **

**Okay, so the last chapter had a MAJOR typo, one that affects the plot, so… it has been edited, but, since most of you have already read it, I'm going to have to ask you to forget everything that happened in the last chapter, and re-read it. Seriously, it doesn't affect that particular chapter much, its, like, one, tiny line, but it ruins the most important scene in this fic, well, I think it's the most important scene. **

**Allow me to explain. I'm not giving any spoilers about this scene, but I need this detail to be fixed in order for it to even exist. And it has to exist, because that one scene was the scene that popped into my head, and started the whole Scars/Burned series. It will probably appear in the next few chapters, and I'll tell you when it occurs.**

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><p>Flynn sighed, running his fingers through his already messy hair. Cece and Rocky's scars were both healing, through the help of each other, their mothers, Deuce and Ty.<p>

But maybe no one realized that he had scars, too. Hadn't Cece's dad, the abuser, been his father, as well? Hadn't he been hit, if only once? Hadn't his own father tried to kill him? Hadn't he watched his sister almost die right in front of him – _because_ of him?

But maybe only girls get happily-ever-afters. Maybe only girls got a knight in shining armor, running to the rescue. Maybe, being a guy, he had to toughen up, and rescue himself. Or, maybe guys aren't supposed to need rescuing at all.

But he does need rescuing, whether or not people realize it. But for now, he's stuck – drowning, choking, suffocating – on memories…

His memory came back slowly, starting with the dreams. Only, they were never just dreams, they were memories, though he didn't realize it at the time.

That cold, February evening – which marked the first time Flynn had ever talked to his mother about dad – was the day he realized they were memories. After the conversation, he went to Cece, saying, "I wish dad were here."

"Why?"

"Because… I want to remember what he's really like. I keep having dreams where he hurts you, and mom, too. I wish I could see him, just to remind me that its only a dream."

She froze, like a deer caught in headlights, before quickly saying, "Uh huh," while nodding slowly.

That night, as he lay in bed, everything clicked. The divorce, Cece's change of attitude, the morning in the hospital – everything. It all made sense. The first thing he'd done the next morning was talk to Mom and Cece, telling them that he knew about dad, and that they didn't have to lie about it anymore.

He had hugged Cece, whispering, "Thank you. For saving me. But, I'm going to have to keep acting like you annoy me, or people are going to wonder what happened."

She had laughed, a wide grin stretching across her pale features.

That night, as he slept, he dreamt once more of his father driving the knife into Cece's stomach. Only, this time, he knew it wasn't a dream.

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><p>Deuce sat at the café tables outside Rocky and Cece's apartment building. Biting his lip, he smoothes out the newspaper once more, locating the tiny article on Danny.<p>

_Arrested for the rape of Raquel Blue, rape of Raquel Blue, rape of Raquel Blue. The words echo sickeningly in his head. Over and over and over again, no wonder she can't trust him. _

There, there she is, walking outside, shivering from the cold, he stands up to talk to her, just as she turns to go inside. He grabs her shoulder, forcing her to turn around.

He can see panic evaporating from her eyes as she realizes its him.

_Oh shit, she probably thought I was Danny._

Her head tilts to the side, curiously, "What's wrong, Deuce?"

He meant to say it more tactfully, meant to be nicer about it, but instead, he blurts, "Why didn't you tell me?"

_As soon as the words pass through his lips, he regrets it_.

"Tell you what?"

_He can tell that she knows exactly what he's talking about. She just doesn't want to admit to it._

He lifts up the newspaper, points to the article. Panic and tears welling up in her dark eyes.

"Whoa, Rocky, you okay, chica?"

_As soon as he says it, he realizes how stupid it sounds, of course she isn't okay, she was RAPED, for god's sake._

_She obviously agrees,_ "No! I'm not fine. Why would I be? It's not like I was raped by someone I thought loved me. Even worse, someone I thought I loved."

_The word 'thought' is lost on him, and all he can think is, 'she loves him, she loves him, she loves him,' and the thought sends knives through his heart. _

"Rocky-" He tries apologizing – for bringing it up, for making her cry, for not being good enough for her to love… But she interrupts him.

"No. Just… Stop, please. How did you find that article? It has to be the smallest article in the paper."

"Tinka showed it to me. She thought I might want to know."

_Strike three, and you're out! That's the third time, just in this conversation, he's said something he regrets, something that encourages panic and/or tears from her._

Her knees give out, and she collapses. Just before she hits the pavement, he reaches out to grab her, "You're going to be okay, chica," he says, in the most comforting voice he can manage.

He sees a smile, a small, content smile cross her face as she loses consciousness. He picks her up, gently, and begins to carry her up to her apartment.

_And while he carries her, her head rests on his shoulder, and he likes the way it feels._

He reaches the apartment, a lays her down on the living-room couch, gently brushing her hair out of her face, laying his jacket on top of her to keep her warm.

_It's at that moment that he realizes how deep he's under. He's done every cliché, romantic thing guys do in books and movies when they're in love, like giving them your jacket, brushing hair out of their face, carrying them…_

_He's in love. The only trouble is, she's afraid to love him back._

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><p><strong>So... what do you think?<strong>


	6. Chapter 4

**Here it is. The scene that inspired the entire Scars/Burned series. No joke. I'll explain a bit about how the inspiration came to me at the end of the chapter.**

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><p>"GOT IT, MOM!" Flynn screamed s the doorbell rang. Ty looked up from the couch to see the door opening, revealing Rocky.<p>

He looked at her with concern, yesterday, he had come home to find her unconscious on the couch. She wondered how she had gotten up there, she could've sworn she had passed out outside. Ty suggested it was Deuce, as she was wearing his jacket.

She looked at him, smiling reassuringly, as Deuce followed her in. He wasn't too sure if he liked his best friend dating his baby sister. But, he supposed, better him than Danny.

The two of them sat on the couch next to Cece and Ty. Flynn scowled at the stealing of his spot, sitting on the chair by himself. For a while, they just sat there, Then, Cece came up with an idea.

Bringing her iPod and speakers, she set it on Pandora, and started dancing to the beat of the songs playing. Soon, everybody joined in, except for Deuce, stating that he doesn't dance. Rocky grabs his hands, and pulls him up, forces him to at least _attempt_ to move to the beat.

Laughing, giggling, dancing ridiculous dances, forgetting all their pain. But all good things must come to an end.

_Just gonna stand there_

_and watch me burn?_

_That's all right, because_

_I like the way it hurts._

_Just gonna stand there _

_and hear me cry?_

_That's all right, because_

_I like the way it hurts._

Love The Way You Lie comes on, and Rocky tenses. They all stop, and Cece says, "Hey Deuce, can you change the song?" over the sounds of Eminem beginning his rap.

"Why?"

… _As long as the wrong feels right,_

_it's like I'm in flight…_

"Just do it, Deuce."

… _When it's going good, it's going great_

_I'm Superman with the wind in his back_

_She's Lois Lane, _

_but when it's bad, it's awful,_

_I feel so ashamed, I snapped, _

"_Who's that dude?"_

_I don't even know his name_

_I laid hands on her, _

_I'll never stoop so low again…_

"I don't like this song. Turn it off." Cece demands, and her mother comes in, surveying the scene. The song hits her ears, and she stiffens, as well.

…_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn?…_

"Deuce." Ty warns, looking at his sister and Cece in concern. He sees the confusion in Deuce's eyes, not understanding why this is so important.

_You swore you'd never hit 'em, never_

_do nothin to hurt 'em._

_Now you're in each other's face,_

_spewing venom in your words _

_when you spit 'em._

_You push, pull each other's hair,_

_stratch, claw, bit 'em, Throw 'em down,_

_pin 'em, so lost in the moment_

_when you're in 'em._

"It's just a song, guys! What's the big deal?"

… _Don't you hear sincerity_

_in my voice when I talk?_

_Told you, this was my fault, look me_

_in the eyeball, next time_

_I'm pissed I'll aim my fist at the drywall_

"_Next time? There won't be no next time?"_

_I apologize, even though I know it's lies,_

Cece walks over to her iPod, turning the music off, saw tears running down Rocky's face. Smeared makeup mingling with the tears, she stalks off into the kitchen, following a pale-faced Georgia. Cece glared at Deuce, then followed them.

"Jeez, it was just a song." Deuce says, frustrated.

"No, it wasn't, Deuce. It was a song about abuse." Ty answers, hands curled into fists at his sides.

"So?"

"Think about it like this," Flynn cuts in, "You and Ty are the only people in this apartment who haven't been abused."

Deuce's jaw drops, eyes widen, shocked, "Da-da-da-Danny?" he stutters.

"Yes, Danny." Ty answers, fists clenched, knuckles stretched taut and white contrasting with his dark skin.

… _imma tie her to the bed_

_and start this house on fire…_

* * *

><p><strong>The inspiration for this story came over a year ago. I had just finished watching the first EVER episode of Shake It Up, and was cleaning the house, listening to music. While I was listening to the music, I was analyzing the character's personalities and idiosyncrasies, then the song Love The Way You Lie came on, and, to quote JKRowling, "the idea, simply… Fell into my head." And the rest is history.<strong>

**As each new episode aired, the story became more complex, more full. I didn't get around to actually writing it until this summer…**

**The scene was a lot cooler in my head... It didn't quite turn out how I wanted it... I recommend listening to the song while you read for dramatic effect.**

**Reviews = love.**


	7. Chapter 5

**Enjoy. I seriously wrote this in, like, 15 minutes, no shit. I didn't edit or reread at all, so…. If there are any glaring mistakes, please let me know. Who here is in love with the movie Treasure Planet?**

* * *

><p>"Stop it, Ty!" Cece squealed, running away from him. He chased after her, grabbed her around the waist, picked her up, and threw on the couch. He resumed tickling her, as she giggled and shrieked happily.<p>

He stopped, grinning ear to ear. Smiling contentedly up at him, she leaned up and kissed him softly. He responded enthusiastically, holding her close, when –

The door swung open, revealing Flynn and Henry, the latter's face screwed up in disgust.

"You get used to it." Flynn assures him, noticing the look on his face.

Cece and Ty both laughed. It's times like these when she can almost forget her father ever abused her, that she almost died, that her best friend was raped and abused. Almost.

Oh, poor Deuce. He was completely infatuated with Rocky, but she couldn't even look him in the eye after he found out she was abused.

"Earth to Cece!" Flynn screamed.

Blinking out of her reverie, she grins at him, and the moment is perfect. Almost.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Deuce Martinez sighed. He had really fucked it up yesterday. How would he ever have a chance with Rocky if he kept messing up? It seems like everything he does makes her cry. If Ty weren't so wrapped around Cece, he would've asked him for advice, but maybe he wouldn't have given it, with Rocky being his sister, and all.

He looks up, and his breath catches in his throat. It's_ her_. She sits down right next to him, and they sit in silence for what seems like forever. Finally, her head falls unto his shoulder _– and, oh, he loves the way it feels_ – and she whispers, "I'm sorry, Deuce."

"Don't be." He whispers back, just as softly.

_ - He's not sure, but he's pretty sure she's smiling – _

And they just sit there, until night falls, the last rays of sun illuminating Chicago's beautiful cityscape.

_ - And it's okay, because words aren't needed right now – _

0o0o0o0o0o0

And finally, the sun sets, and Rocky begins to shiver in the cold evening air. He looks at her, unidentified emotion filling his eyes, for the second time this week, rests his jacket on her cold shoulders.

_She fingers the soft_

_fabric, and breathes_

_in the smell of it._

_The smell of Deuce. _

_The smell_

_of cheap cologne _

_and soap. The smell_

_that she loved, and _

_Dina had hated._

She wraps it more tightly around her, and they walk into the building together. He drops her off in front of her apartment, and turns to leave.

He stops suddenly, and turns back to her, whispers, "Good night, Rocky," and gently presses his lips against her.

_And the feeling _

_of his lips_

_against hers_

_is AMAZING, _

_exhilarating, _

_and for a few _

_seconds, she'_

_beautiful. And then _

_they're gone, and her_

_lips are lonely and cold._

But she smiles as he leaves, looking satisfied with himself, and knows everything will be okay.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Georgia Jones, in her office at the police department, bites her lips, clenching her fists, staring at the newspaper. Her colleague, Amy, had been reading it, and had shown her the article of interest.

A man, arrested for domestic abuse, had been released from prison. He was reported to be heading into the Chicago area soon.

Printed across the heading of the article was the name James Jones.

* * *

><p><strong>**Plays intense, creepy music**<strong>

**Reviews are the love of my life. SHARE THE LOVE!**


	8. Chapter 6

**To my two/three reviewers who requested Rocky being pregnant with Danny's baby: I have two reasons why I am not going to.**

**1) I already have the entire story planned out in my head, and that was not part of the plan. I'd have to change my whole story to do that, and I'm not going to. I can't take suggestions from reviewers, because then it isn't MY story, it's mine AND yours, and I need that ownership, to feel proud of my work. I may ask for your opinions, but I don't take suggestions.**

**2) No offense, but the idea is extremely cliché, in a not-good way. In Every. Single. Rape fic on this site, the girl is pregnant with the rapist's baby, so… No. Just, no.**

**Anyway, haven't I been mean enough to Rocky already? I've already had her abused and raped, with her only comfort a clueless boy like Deuce, while her best friend dates her brother. Poor girl doesn't need any more suffering. Well, she'll get more **plays ominous-sounding music** but… This is quite enough, don't ya think?**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>Cece stared at the news article, panic rising. No, no he couldn't be back. He just <em>couldn't<em>. She felt her breathing become shallow and quick, heart pounding mercilessly against her chest. She closes her eyes against the fear, tries to control her breathing; _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10_ deep breaths.

"Hey, Cece, what's up?" Ty asks, concerned, as he walked into her apartment.

Eyes flying open, she struggles to conceal her dread, and throws the newspaper unto the table behind her. He looks at her, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"It's nothing," she replies simply, surprised at how easily the lies slip through her teeth.

He raises his eyebrows in disbelief, and she sighs out, "It's just… I was looking at the article on Danny, and…" once again, the lies slide over her tongue like syrup, sugary sweet, but heavy, weighing her down as they lift his suspicion.

He moves closer to her, wraps her into his arms, his familiar scent – Old Spice and the forest-y smell of his cologne – washes over her, and he whispers, "I can tell you're lying. If you didn't want to tell me, you could've just said so," and his words snake into her ears, somehow comforting.

The door bangs open, and Mrs. Jones stands in the doorway, looking at them in shock.

_Oh shit,_ Cece thinks_, I never told Mom about… __**Us**__…_ At the word _us_, she has to hold back the contented smile that teases at her lips.

"Cece, kitchen. Now." She orders, and Cece willingly complies, shooting Ty a reassuring smile.

"Care to explain?"  
>"Ummm… <em>Ty-is-my-boyfriend-and-has-been-for-over-a-month<em>?" She says as if it were one, long word.

"Come again?"

"Ty. Is. My. Boyfriend." She says slowly, accentuating each word meticulously.

"Cece-" her mom starts, and Cece knows she's in for a lecture, "he's… Not good for you. He's your typical playboy, maybe you should go for someone more... Dependable."

"He _is _dependable, Mom. We've been dating for over a month."

"That doesn't mean he's safe, Cece. After what happened with Danny, aren't you even a little bit wary of dating?"

"Yes, mom. I am. But… I'm sure of this-"

"What about Rocky? Is she okay with this. He is her brother, after all. Oh, Jesus Christ, you're dating your best friend's brother! That's kind of, scandalous, Cece. People are going to think you're a slut-"

"I'm well aware of the implications of dating my best friend's brother."

"Isn't that a song? That one that plays in commercial breaks on the shows Flynn watches?"

"Victoria Justice." Cece says, nodding.

Mrs. Jones shakes her head, "Whatever Cece. Just… Be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

Cece nods, and their mother/daughter moment is over. She walks out to see Ty sitting on her couch, waiting for her. She's just about to sit down next to him, when-

A shrill, high-pitched screech fills the air, and everyone claps their hands over their ears to drown out the sound. The fire alarm – for that was the sound – continues to wail and shriek. Ty leaps off the couch, and the three of them – Cece, her mother, and Ty – run down the fire escape, joined by Rocky and Deuce.

"Where's Flynn!" Cece screams, stopping suddenly.

"He's at Henry's down the street, thank God." her mother assures.

The entire population of the apartment building congregated out front, shivering in the cold September air.

Cece's blood turned to ice as the she saw two uniformed policemen dragging a man towards the group, "Here's the man who started the building on fire. He's being arrested for arson."

"James!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed. And so it was. It was her father, he had started this fire. But why?

But Cece didn't have time to wonder about it, because just then, Henry tugged on her arm.

"Cece! Where's Flynn!"

"Wasn't he at your house!"

"Yes, but we were walking back. We got here just when the fire alarms went off! He ran inside to save his goldfish!"

Cece's blood ran cold, as a shriek of pure terror harmonized with the wail of the fire alarm. Flynn was trapped inside.

* * *

><p><strong>bum Bum BUM! <strong>

**So… I have this week off of school! Hahahahaha! So, obviously, I spent my free day writing. No shit, I wrote this, AND the next four chapters, along with two chapters of Downward Spiral, and worked on my novel! Productive day, if I do say so myself!**

**Since I have everything written already, I'll probably update once a week to add suspense, and schedule. Kay? **

**Hope you enjoyed, because there's more drama to come!**


	9. Chapter 7

**I promised myself I wouldn't update for another week, but... I couldn't help myself! Here's chapter 7! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>She didn't think. All she knew was that her brother was in trouble. So, she reacted instinctively, and took off towards the flaming silhouette of her home. She pushed past the fireman blocking the entrances, for once her small size is beneficial, and she can hear them calling after her.<p>

She runs up the stairs, dodging bits of collapsing wood and avoiding the flames nipping at her heels. Must-save-Flynn-must-save-Flynn-must-save-Flynn runs through her head, a simple mantra, anchoring her to what she must do.

She throws open the door to their apartment, throat closing with panic and lack of oxygen, and screams, "Flynn!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ty stood frozen as he saw Cece bolt towards the firemen. Flynn was in trouble! But everything would be okay. She was going to the firemen for help, and they'd save Flynn, and everything would be okay, right?

But then Cece runs past them, into the building, them screaming after her, and everything is a blur together, and it's like he's watching the scene in slow motion.

Stopped by the firemen, his larger size making it impossible to slip past them, he screams_ "Let-me-go-let-me-go-let-me-go!_ I have to go after her!"

"It isn't safe, I can't let you go after her."

"Then why don't you! Isn't it your job to save people from fires? There are two people in there, dying, and you're just standing around, doing nothing! You know that 15-year-old girl who just ran in there? She's 100 times braver than you, asshole."

"That's not called bravery, it's called being stupid."

And Ty punches him in the face. He isn't sure why, but he's in a rage, as red-hot as the building in front of him.

"Whoa, buddy, stop that." The other fireman pulls him off of the one he punched, who says, "I want this kid arrested for assaulting an officer."

"Dude, calm down. He just needs to blow off his steam. That girl was probably his girlfriend or something, cut him some slack." Another firemen answers, and Ty feels a rush of gratitude towards his savior.

"You started the fire?" Time speeds up, back to normal, as he overhears Mrs. Jones hiss accusingly at the man, James, if he heard her right earlier. He looked familiar, but Ty couldn't quite place how…

"Uh huh. Gonna burn the whole place to the g-g-ground." He slurs drunkenly, as he stumbles towards Mrs. Jones, falling into her, he mumbles thickly, "Hey baby. Didjamissme?"

"Stay away from me! You may have been my husband, but there's a reason you're not anymore." Oh, this was Cece's dad. His blood boils, and he's about to run over to him, to punch him, too. How dare he do that to Cece? But before he can, a deafening _bang_ pierces the air.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Cece!" Cece hears Flynn's reply, and runs in the direction of his voice, forcing herself not to let the blackness at the edge of her vision overtake her. She runs into Flynn's room, and sees him hiding under his bed. Should be easy, right? All she has to do is convince him to come out, and run out the fire escape.

But she's Cece Jones, and lucky is one thing she is not. S, just her luck, the bed's wooden structure is on fire. She reaches under the bed, and pulls him out, ignoring the searing pain of the fire scorching her arms.

Goldberg the Fifth lays dead, belly up in his bowl, the lack of oxygen in the water his cause of death. Cece knows they are soon to follow him…

Carrying a ten-year-old boy is no simple feat, especially for a chronic gym-class-skipper like Cece, but with the adrenaline coursing through her, she manages it. The doorway is blocked, the entire living room a sea of orange flames.

She runs into their bathroom, and runs the faucet of the tub, stepping into it, as the water licks at her feet. She pulls Flynn in after her, and they stand ankle deep in water.

One of her more brilliant schemes, Cece congratulates her ingenuity. Tile and ceramic aren't flammable, so the fire can't even get close to them. She also solved their other problem, oxygen. Water has oxygen in it, and the heat causes it to evaporate, turning it into breathable air.

"We're safe, we're safe, we're safe." She murmurs, over and over again, as Flynn blinks tears out of eyes. Just when she almost believed herself…

Her world was rocked, the whole building bursting, collapsing, falling, the air is swimming with flying wood and household objects, and, disoriented, she instinctively throws Flynn into the corner of the tub, positioning herself to shield him from the shrapnel.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ty stares at the building just in time to see it combust, flames pouring out, firemen rushing in to contain the flood of flames chasing into the streets.

But he feels empty. _Cece's gone. No, she can't be, there's no way, any minute now, she's going to walk out that door, perfectly fine. She has to._

He wonders how many times he'll have to say that before he actually believed it.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry... it's another cliffhanger!<strong>


	10. Chapter 8

Mrs. Jones froze, breathing deeply. _No! Not her babies! How could this have happened to her children?_

She stomps over to James, and smacks him, and his face stings red where it connects. "Wha-the-fuck-Georgia. Wha-did-I-do?"

"I fucking hate you! I hope you're happy with yourself, because I don't have anything left to give you, you've already taken everything that I have! You took the man I knew and loved, and turned him into… Into, _this_," she screeched, gesturing to his intoxicated form, "You've taken my house, all my possessions, and my children! How could you do that! Do you realize what you did? YOU _killed_ YOUR CHILDREN! What the fuck is WRONG with you!"

"Who're they?" He interrupts, pointing off to the side, "and why are they sad?"

She looks like she's about to burst at being cut off, but settles for answering him,

"That girl? The one who's crying? That's Rocky, and she was Cece's best friend. They did everything together. That boy holding her hand, looking blank? That's Deuce, another one of Cece's friends. That boy on Rocky's other side? The one whose shoulder she's crying on, who looks like he's about to explode in anger? That's Ty. Rocky's brother, Cece's boyfriend. Cece had a life, James, she had people who loved her, and who took that away from her, and you took her away from them."

Seething in anger, she turns away from him, only to bump into Henry. Henry immediately latches unto her, and begins sobbing into her stomach, and she tightens her arms around him, motherly instincts taking over.

"Shhh, shhh, its going to be all right, shhh." But she doesn't believe it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But there's no chance either of your children survived the explosion. The bottom half collapsed, so she fell with the building 6 floors, not to mention the flames, lack of oxygen, and shrapnel in the air. I'm sorry for your loss."

She feels like Ty when she replies, "No, you're not. If you cared, you would've gone in after them. That's your job, after all."

He stutters some reply, and she smirks contentedly at his black eye. _Good job, Ty._ And she regrets telling Cece that Ty wasn't good for her. He punched a fireman, risked getting arrested, to save her. That's dedication.

And tears sting her eyes when she realizes she'll never get to tell Cece that.

A commotion in the rubble that was once their home turns heads. A fireman, the one who had pulled Ty off of the one with a black eye, walks out, smiling. Rage shoots through her._ How dare he? Both of her children were dead, because of his inability to act, and he was SMILING_?

But then she understands, as she sees who's behind him. Cece stumbles out of the wreckage, dazed and disoriented, Flynn gripping her hand like a lifeline.

She runs over to them, and gathers them up in her arms, holding them close, crying tears of joy. She hears Cece's sharp intake of breath, and pulls away to see her wincing. She pulls her arms off of her, and nearly faints.

Her hands, which had been wrapped around Cece, are dripping with shockingly scarlet blood.

Cece looks at her hands, her disoriented eyes registering surprise. She only manages to murmur, "Oh," before collapsing on the ground.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A blur of activity – with paramedics, policemen, and firemen swarming – follows.

Sitting in the waiting room at the ER is never fun, especially when it's your daughter who's injured. The memory of her daughter's blood on her hands is branded into her memory, haunting her.

"Mrs. Jones?" she looks up at the nurse expectantly, "You may see your daughter now."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

She looked so fragile, like porcelain, with her body disappearing into an over-sized hospital gown, making her look smaller than she actually is. Her ivory skin, even paler than usual, adds to the image of a porcelain doll, her resigned, broken expression makes her look so frail, so delicate, and not at all like the Cece she knew.

But worst of all was her hair. The fiery red in contrast to white skin brings the memory of blood into the front of her imagination. It's easy to imagine the hair as crimson blood from a head wound.

"She's doing all right. Still unstable, and we have no definite statistics yet. I'd say she has a 50/50 chance of surviving this. That's really all I can say."

"She doesn't look injured. What's wrong with her?"

"Most of the damage is on her back, from what your son told me, she used her back as a shield to protect him from the shrapnel. Also, she has minor burns on her feet and legs, with some major burns on her arms."

She closes her eyes, before choking out, "I'm going. I… can't see her like this. I'm going to tell her friends about her… condition."

The nurse nods in understanding, and Mrs. Jones gives Cece one last fleeting look, before she walks out.


	11. Chapter 9

**Haha! Another Update! I'm on a roll here!**

* * *

><p>No. No this can't be happening. Not Cece, not her best friend.<p>

For the second time

that day, she's

terrified for Cece.

First watching the

explosion, and then

miraculously, she

was safe. But now she's

in the hospital, fighting

for her life.

A comforting hand slips into hers', and she shifts her weight, and rests her head on his shoulder.

Something about

the way he smells,

the way his hand

fits into her's –

so Deuce – is

comforting, and

she's grateful for it.

Tears sting in her eyes, and she lets them fall, her whole body racking with sobs, the tears streaming down her face, now.

She watches, hypnotized,

as Deuce's jacket soaks in

her tears, each one disappearing

into the now wet fabric.

He doesn't seem to mind

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

He stares at the girl sobbing on his shoulder, and takes his hand out of her's, and wraps his arm around her reassuringly, whispering into her ear.

_- Shhhhh, it'll be all right, chica, Cece's going to be all right. Shhhh, she's a strong girl, she's going to make it, shhh_ –

She looks up at him, gratefully. And she leans forward and kisses him.

_- And he doesn't hesitate to kiss her back, loving the way her lips feel on his - _

He knows he loves her. There's no denying it, he is absolutely, one-hundred-percent in love with Rocky Blue.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ty creeps into the hospital room, sneaking cursory glances, to be sure he isn't caught. Technically, only family are allowed to see her right now, and he can't risk gettting caught.

He enters the room, and can't hold back the sharp intake of breath as he looks down at his girlfriend's sleeping face. Was she always this vunerable? This fragile? She had always seemed so strong. She had such a big personality, he had almost never noticed how small she was. Her hiar is splayed out across the pillow, it's blood-red color in stark contrast with the pristine whiteness of the pillow.

Even her expression seems broken somehow. How did this happen? How could anyone have done this to her?

At the sound of a throat clearing, he whips around to face a petite nurse, smiling at him. "You're not supposed to be here. Only family are allowed to see her right now," he bites his lip, and turns to leave, "but," she continues, "I'll let it slide."

He sighs in relief, and takes a seat in the chair next to her bed, saying, "How is she doing?" as he puts his hand in Cece's small, limp one.

"She's... 50/50. Right now, it's up to her. We've done all we can. If she's strong enough, and determined enough she'll make it. If not..." She trailed off, nervously, and turns to leave.

"Come on Cece," he whispers after the nurse leaves, "You can do this. You have to fight. You have to live, Cece. You have to. We need you. Flynn needs you, Rocky needs you. I need you," he chokes out the last part, biting back tears.

He leans over her and brushes his lips against her. As he does, the EKG level - which had been slow and steady the whole time - flutters. It's not much, but it's enough.

He walks out, and when he reaches the waiting room, a familiar man bumps into him. James Jones. Cece's dad. Recognition flares in James' steely blue eyes. Anger wells up in Ty, and draws back his fist, preparing to give him a black eye to match the fireman's.

* * *

><p><strong>Well... Question and Answer time! Three valid questions I've been asked in a review:<strong>

**Q 1) From IluvF: How did the trick with the bathtub work?**

**A 1) Well... the idea was invented in my brain, so its not proven to work. I don't suggest testing it. However, she never turned the faucet off, so as the water evaporated, it was replaced and mixed with the new, cold water. But, oh well...**

**Q 2) From cutestrulerofevil: Are Deuce and Rocky dating?**

**A 2) No, they are not. They kiss (a lot) and rely on each other for comfort and happiness, and they both like each other, but Rocky is too nervous about dating after Danny, and doesn't want any type of love or commitment. I feel like she's trying to distance herself from the whole relationship thing, but Deuce is making it difficult.**

**Q 3) From digifan313: Why did their father burn the building? It seems random and risky.**

**A 3) Well... Extremely good point. What was he thinking? Answer, he wasn't. He was drunk off his ass, and can't use logic or reasoning skills.**

**As always, reviews are love. No, really, I live of them. Without them, I would perish, and go to hell. **

**JUST KIDDING! But really, review.**

**PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE? WITH CHERRIES ON TOP?**


	12. Chapter 10

Ty brought his fist down to connect with James' face. But, just before it connected, he truly saw James. How could this be the man who had abused Cece, stabbed Cece, and almost killed Cece in a fire? That man had been evil, vile, ruthless. This man was weak. Small and fragile.

James was staring at Ty's fist, with a resigned, broken expression on his face. He wasn't even trying to defend himself. It was as if he knew he deserved it, wanted it to hit him. Wanted retribution to make right his wrongs.

Ty couldn't do it. James was a head taller than Ty, with broad, strong looking shoulders, but at the moment he seemed to be a head shorter, so much weaker, he was broken.

And he may never be whole again.

But Ty still doesn't trust him, so when he walks into Cece's room, he stays outside the room, listening in to make sure she's safe.

He wants her to always be safe.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Consciousness came slowly, eyes blinking open, vision still a little blurry around the edges. She looks down at herself, from the front, she looks the same as ever. But if the pain in her back is any indication, she was lucky to be alive. She sits up, vertigo rushes to her head, and she closes her eyes, counts to ten to steady her breathing.

Touching her back, she winces, the skin feels so _wrong_. Flayed, cut up, much too rough feeling. She can trace the scars, the burn marks, her once smooth skin damaged beyond repair.

Footsteps – _familiar_ footsteps - in the hall alert her to someone about to enter her room. She hastily lays back down, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing to feign sleep. The man – the footsteps were too heavy to be a woman's – sits down in the chair next to her bed. Peeking out of the corner of her eyes, still pretending to be asleep, she risked a look at the man who did this to her.

It was her father. She felt her blood rushing through her ears, anger and panic flooding through her body. But he wasn't angry, wasn't hateful, looking down upon her in disgust.

He was crying, his face buried in his hands, "Oh, Princess," the old nickname calms her, reminds her of the days before he lost his mind, as he continues to sob, "I'm so sorry, I'm so _so_ _**so **_sorry! How could I do this to you, baby? What have I done? _What have I done to my little Cecelia_?" He sounds close to hysterics, remorseful sobs racking his feeble body. Had he always been this weak?

He stands up, stands over her. Gently brushing her hair out of her face, he says, "I know you're awake, Princess. I want you to know that I'm so, so sorry," his voice cracks, squeezing his eyes against the tears, "I'm sorry. For everything. I really am. I know it doesn't mean anything, and you probably won't forgive me, but I love you, Cecelia. I regret everything I did – to you, your mother, everything."

Taking a deep breath, he continues, "I… After what I did to you last week, I've been getting some help, seen a therapist, joined an Alcoholics Anonymous group. And, now that I'm trying to be sober, I've been able to do some thinking. I want you to be happy. You can't be happy with me, and neither can your mom or Flynn. So, just remember that I love you, okay?" the last part comes out a whisper, and he looks at her, both dreading and needing her reply.

She looks up into her father's eyes. Her father, who she loves, who she hates, who she looked up to, and who she feared. Such bittersweet contradiction. It – this moment - can't be real, can't possibly be happening. Her father, looking down upon her with love rather than disgust, with regret rather fury.

She nods, unable to speak. Finally, she chokes out "I love you too, dad. I can't trust you, can't respect you. But you're still my dad. And… I'm sorry I wasn't good enough."

"Never say that, Princess. You're everything a man could ask for in a daughter." he kissed her forehead, a gesture from her younger days, oddly comforting from a man who almost killed her, twice.

He leaves, and she stares at the ceiling, smiling. Why? She isn't really sure, but it may be because her daddy loves her again.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_7-year-old Cece, lays in her bed, blinking back tears, looking at the bruises on her wrists. She fingers them lightly, her pale fingers standing out against the shocking purple of the bruises. How had her daddy done that to her? For the first time ever, her dad had hurt her. How could he?_

_She bites her lips, stopping the sobs that threaten to escape._

"_Why, Daddy?" she whispers into the darkness._

_She cries herself to sleep that night, wondering what she had done wrong._

_As she slept, her father crept into her room, leaned over her, kissing her forehead, "I'm sorry, Princess, I really am."_

_He had cried himself to sleep that night, too._

* * *

><p><strong>Here's the deal. While I wrote this... I got inspiration for a possible third installment of this series. I'm not particularily proud of Burned, so I'm a little apprehensive about writing a third. However... the idea is haunting my mind... so... Maybe.<strong>

**If I do, it'll have to be rated M, though there will be no lemons.**


	13. Chapter 11

**So… This chapter is extremely short! This is my epilogue, wrapping everything up, but still leaving open the possibility of a third installment.**

**Important A/N at the bottom!**

* * *

><p>It all happened so fast. After her father had left, nurses and doctors had swarmed into her room, bustling about and running tests because she was <em>awake<em>, she was _alive._

In a blur of motion and activity, Cece had been brought home, sentenced to a week of bed-rest. Laying on her couch, watching reruns and old dvds, she contemplated everything that had happened to her in the past two months. When she listed out everything good that had happened to her versus everything bad, it had first seemed like her life had gone to shit.

But the very few positive outcomes outweighed the many negative. She had a boyfriend, who protected and cared for her, who she maybe even loved _(was it possible for her love when she was so broken?)_ Her and Rocky, after getting over the initial rough patch, were closer than ever _(to think she'd almost lost their friendship) _Her family was closer, her mother approved ofher dating (_finally!)_ and Flynn almost never fought with her anymore. Even after all she'd been through, she could still be happy. Maybe it was just her optimistic view on life. Or maybe karma was realizing she needed some happiness in her life to make up for everything bad.

Her breath still caught in her throat when she touched the rough, uneven skin on her back. And she still gasped whenever she happened upon a mirror, and saw the gaunt face staring back at her. Her dreams still turned in nightmares, images of vicious flames and explosions of debris, bursts of pain and the black nothingness that followed. She still flinched at sudden sounds and movements. Would she always be so twitchy? So terrified of the world around her? No, she was Cece Jones, and she was strong. _(Or so she told herself as she looked in the mirror, begging herself not to cry.)_

But she knew that things could only go up from here. Nothing could be as bad as what had already happened to her…

Right?

0o0o0o0o0

The cold Chicago air bit into him as he stood there, waiting for her to arrive. He zipped up his jacket and hugged his arms to keep warm. He spotted her, and steadied his breathing, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say.

And so they stood there, Rocky's head tilted to the side in confusion as he opened and closed his mouth, desperately trying to find the words he had been waiting to say for ages.

"Rocky? Wouldyouliketobemygirlfriend ? We'vebeentogetherforawhileandne vermadeanythingofficial." He finished the question with a gasp of relief, he had waited forever to ask her, and now, he just had to wait for the answer.,

"What?"

"I said," he said, measuring each syllable so he didn't speak too fast or slur his words together like he just had, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

She tilted her head to side, and Deuce silently prayed - to whatever deity was listening - for her to say yes.

"I'd like that."

Now that she's here, he doesn't mind the cold too much.

0o0o0o0o0

"I'd like that." she said after much thought, cherishing the contented smile that had lingered on his lips.

Truth was, she had heard him the first time he'd asked, in a slur of combined words. Danny was still on her mind, haunting every waking hour, even appearing in her dreams. She wanted to trust Deuce, but what if he hurt her? And what if she wasn't good enough for him? She hadn't been enough for Danny, and she had been whole. Now she was fractured.

She leaned forward, and pressed her lips against his. The kiss told her everything she needed to know.

She smiled, and pushed Danny from her head.

* * *

><p><strong>This was the epilogue! I've decided to write a third… And I'll post it…Eventually. I'm going to try and write out the entire fic before I publish the first chapter, so I can keep updates a little more routine.<strong>

**It will be rated 'M'. No actual lemons, but lots of mature content, including explicit language, blatant sexual references, and some borderline lemon-y scenes.**

**Want a summary? Here you go!**

_Ty's feelings for Cece change, Deuce has something to tell Rocky, Rocky deals with the return of Danny, and Cece learns something about herself she never knew. But ignorance is bliss, and as secrets are revealed, Cece wishes they had stayed hidden…_

**The title will either be either ****Corrupted****, or ****Tainted****. Put me on author alerts if you want to be informed, because it might not come up for a long time. **

**I've been super busy, and its been difficult finding time for my writing ****. I planned to finish this in June, and have the third finished by now. But I ended up working this whole summer as a nanny. I literally watched two kids everyday for nine hours a day, then came home and slept (I had to get up at obscene hours in the morning). Now, that school has started, I'm even more screwed, because I'm taking two AP classes and Honors math. I spend my entire study hall doing homework, and still have at least two hours of homework every night. Not only that, but I also have dance, voice lessons, piano lessons, and two school organizations to commit my time to. And now, my plan is to finish the third (And final!) installment of Scars, and then disappear from fanfiction forever, to focus on my novels.**

**Also, funny story. I thought I'd published this months ago! I just noticed this weekend that I never actually updated, its been sitting on my hard drive since August!**


	14. AN

**So, I just thought I'd let you know, not that a lot of you care, but I'm done with fanfiction. For good. I might drop in to read some stories from time to time, but from now on, all my writing will be on my novel.**

**I'm keeping my stories up for your enjoyment, but they will not be updated, nor will their sequels be posted... Sorry!**

**Good bye!**


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